Surveillance Colonoscopy Findings in Older Adults With a History of Colorectal Adenomas.

Importance: Postpolypectomy surveillance is a common colonoscopy indication in older adults; however, guidelines provide little direction on when to stop surveillance in this population. Objective: To estimate surveillance colonoscopy yields in older adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cross-sectional study included individuals 70 to 85 years of age who received surveillance colonoscopy at a large, community-based US health care system between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2019; had an adenoma detected 12 or more months previously; and had at least 1 year of health plan enrollment before surveillance. Individuals were excluded due to prior colorectal cancer (CRC), hereditary CRC syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, or prior colectomy or if the surveillance colonoscopy had an inadequate bowel preparation or was incomplete. Data were analyzed from September 1, 2022, to February 22, 2024. Exposures: Age (70-74, 75-79, or 80-85 years) at surveillance colonoscopy and prior adenoma finding (ie, advanced adenoma vs nonadvanced adenoma). Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes were yields of CRC, advanced adenoma, and advanced neoplasia overall (all ages) by age group and by both age group and prior adenoma finding. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with advanced neoplasia detection at surveillance. Results: Of 9740 surveillance colonoscopies among 9601 patients, 5895 (60.5%) were in men, and 5738 (58.9%), 3225 (33.1%), and 777 (8.0%) were performed in those aged 70-74, 75-79, and 80-85 years, respectively. Overall, CRC yields were found in 28 procedures (0.3%), advanced adenoma in 1141 (11.7%), and advanced neoplasia in 1169 (12.0%); yields did not differ significantly across age groups. Overall, CRC yields were higher for colonoscopies among patients with a prior advanced adenoma vs nonadvanced adenoma (12 of 2305 [0.5%] vs 16 of 7435 [0.2%]; P = .02), and the same was observed for advanced neoplasia (380 of 2305 [16.5%] vs 789 of 7435 [10.6%]; P < .001). Factors associated with advanced neoplasia at surveillance were prior advanced adenoma (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.65; 95% CI, 1.44-1.88), body mass index of 30 or greater vs less than 25 (AOR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.03-1.44), and having ever smoked tobacco (AOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.01-1.30). Asian or Pacific Islander race was inversely associated with advanced neoplasia (AOR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67-0.99). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of surveillance colonoscopy yield in older adults, CRC detection was rare regardless of prior adenoma finding, whereas the advanced neoplasia yield was 12.0% overall. Yields were higher among those with a prior advanced adenoma than among those with prior nonadvanced adenoma and did not increase significantly with age. These findings can help inform whether to continue surveillance colonoscopy in older adults.

Program Evaluation Standards for Utility Facilitate Stakeholder Internalization of Evaluative Thinking in the West Virginia Clinical Translational Science Institute.

Background: The program evaluation standards (PES) can be considered established criteria for high-quality evaluations. We emphasize PES Utility standards and evaluation capacity building as we strive for meaningful application of our work in the real world. Purpose: We focused our methodology on understanding how stakeholders discussed utility and how their perceptions related to our evaluation work aligned with the Utility domain of the program evaluation standards. Setting: The West Virginia Clinical Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI), a statewide multi-institutional entity for which we have conducted tracking and evaluation since 2012. Intervention: Sustained collaborative engagement of evaluation stakeholders with the goal of increasing their utilization of evaluation products and evaluative thinking. Research Design: Case study. Data Collection and Analysis: We interviewed five key stakeholders. We used themes developed from coding of interview data to inform document analyses. We used interview and document analyses to develop additional themes and illustrative examples, as well as to develop and describe a five-level evaluation uptake scale. Findings: We describe shifts in initiation, use, and internalization of evaluative thinking by non-evaluation personnel. These shifts prompted our development and application of an evaluation uptake scale to capture increased evaluation capacity among stakeholders over time. We discuss how focus on the PES Utility standards and evaluation capacity building facilitated these shifts, and their implications for maximizing utility of evaluation activity in large, complex programmatic evaluations.

Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes After Fetal Exposure to Biologics and Thiopurines Among Women With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Pregnant women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may require biologic or thiopurine therapy to control disease activity. Lack of safety data has led to therapy discontinuation during pregnancy, with health repercussions to mother and child. METHODS: Between 2007 and 2019, pregnant women with IBD were enrolled in a prospective, observational, multicenter study across the United States. The primary analysis was a comparison of 5 outcomes (congenital malformations, spontaneous abortions, preterm birth, low birth weight, and infant infections) among pregnancies exposed vs unexposed in utero to biologics, thiopurines, or a combination. Bivariate analyses followed by logistic regression models adjusted for relevant confounders were used to determine the independent effects of specific drug classes on outcomes of interest. RESULTS: Among 1490 completed pregnancies, there were 1431 live births. One-year infant outcomes were available in 1010. Exposure was to thiopurines (n = 242), biologics (n = 642), or both (n = 227) vs unexposed (n = 379). Drug exposure did not increase the rate of congenital malformations, spontaneous abortions, preterm birth, low birth weight, and infections during the first year of life. Higher disease activity was associated with risk of spontaneous abortion (hazard ratio, 3.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-7.69) and preterm birth with increased infant infection (odds ratio, 1.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-2.51). CONCLUSIONS: Biologic, thiopurine, or combination therapy exposure during pregnancy was not associated with increased adverse maternal or fetal outcomes at birth or in the first year of life. Therapy with these agents can be continued throughout pregnancy in women with IBD to maintain disease control and reduce pregnancy-related adverse events. ClinicalTrials.gov, Number: NCT00904878.

General Chemistry Student Attitudes and Success with Use of Online Homework: Traditional-Responsive versus Adaptive-Responsive.

We investigated whether use of an adaptive-responsive online homework system (OHS) that tailors homework to students' prior knowledge and periodically reassesses students to promote learning through practice retrieval has inherent advantages over traditional-responsive online homework. A quasi-experimental cohort control post-test-only design with nonequivalent groups and propensity scores with nearest neighbor matching (n = 6,114 pairs) was used. The adaptive system was found to increase the odds of a higher final letter grade for average, below average, and failing students. However, despite the learning advantages, students self-reported less favorable attitudes toward adaptive-responsive (3.15 of 5) relative to traditional-responsive OHS (3.31). Specific to the adaptive OHS, the following were found: (i) student attitudes were moderately and positively correlated (r = 0.36, p < 0.01) to final letter grade, (ii) most students (95%) reported engaging in remediation of incorrect responses, (iii) a majority of students (69%) reported changes in study habits, and (iv) students recognized the benefit of using adaptive OHS by ranking its assignments and explanations or review materials as two of the top three most useful course aspects contributing to perceived learning. Instructors can use our findings to inform their choice of online homework system for formative assessment of chemistry learning by weighing the benefits, disadvantages, and learning pedagogies of traditional-responsive versus adaptive-responsive systems.

Low adherence to national guidelines for proton-pump inhibitor prescription in patients receiving combination aspirin and anticoagulation.

BACKGROUND: Aspirin, when used with concurrent anticoagulation, increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). Therefore, multisociety guidelines recommend prophylactic proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) for patients receiving aspirin and anticoagulation. We aimed to determine rates and predictors of adherence to these recommendations. METHODS: All adult inpatients discharged from the hospital on aspirin and anticoagulation from July 2009 to June 2014 were retrospectively evaluated for PPI prescription on discharge instructions. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression to test for predictors of PPI prescription. RESULTS: A total of 2422 patients were discharged on aspirin and anticoagulation; the mean age was 68 years and 53.2% were male; 42.2% were prescribed a PPI at discharge. On univariate analysis, factors associated with discharge PPI prescription included increased age (47.1% versus 37.9%), white race (47.3% versus 37.1-40.2%), higher aspirin dose (55.1% versus 39.4%), being married (46.2% versus 39.4%) and preadmission PPI use (96.6% versus 23.4%). On multivariate analysis, significant predictors of discharge PPI prescription were age 60-69 years [odds ratio (OR) 1.61] and 70-79 years (OR 1.48), and preadmission PPI use (OR 120.03). Lower odds of discharge PPI prescription included Medicaid (OR 0.55) or Medicare (OR 0.71) insurance, Spanish language (OR 0.63), and lower dose aspirin (81 mg) (OR 0.40). CONCLUSIONS: A total of 42.2% of patients discharged on aspirin and anticoagulation were prescribed PPIs. Older age and preadmission PPI use were predictive of PPI prescription, while Medicaid/Medicare insurance, Spanish language, and lower dose aspirin decreased the likelihood of discharge PPI prescription. This creates an opportunity to improve primary GIB prevention through quality improvement interventions.

Anxiety and depression in caregivers of individuals with celiac disease - A population-based study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Partner burden is common in celiac disease (CD), but it is unclear if parents of children with CD have increased burden, and if this may translate into depression and anxiety meriting healthcare. METHODS: Nationwide population-based study of 41,753 parents and spouses ("caregivers") to 29,096 celiac patients and 215,752 caregivers to 144,522 matched controls. Caregivers were identified from the Swedish Total Population Register, and linked to data on psychiatric disease in the National Patient Registry. Hazard ratios (HRs) for depression, anxiety, and (as a reference outcome measure) bipolar disorder were examined in a lifetime fashion but also in temporal relationship to date of CD diagnosis using Cox regression. A priori, we focused on parents of individuals diagnosed ≤19 years of age (children at the age of disease onset) and spouses of individuals diagnosed in adulthood, as such parents and spouses ("high-risk caregivers") were most likely to live together with the patient at time of disease onset. RESULTS: On Cox analysis, depression was 11% more common in high-risk caregivers (HR=1.11: 95%CI=1.03-1.19) than in control caregivers while anxiety was 7% more common (HR=1.07: 95%CI=0.98-1.16). Combining anxiety and depression into a composite outcome measure, there was an 8% statistically significant risk increase (95%CI=1.02-1.14). The highest excess risks for both depression and anxiety were seen just before and 4-8 years after the CD diagnosis. In contrast, bipolar disorder was not more common in caregivers to CD patients. CONCLUSION: Caregivers to patients with CD may be at increased risk of severe burden.

Dietary Creatine as a Possible Novel Treatment for Crohn's Ileitis.

Creatine, a commonly used dietary supplement, plays an important role in maintaining gut barrier function. Given that dysregulation of the intestinal epithelial barrier is a hallmark of inflammatory bowel disease, it is plausible that creatine supplementation may attenuate disease severity. We present a patient with Crohn's ileitis who responded to creatine supplementation with both symptomatic and endoscopic improvement in disease activity.

Thiopurines and inflammatory bowel disease: Current evidence and a historical perspective.

The use of thiopurines in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been examined in numerous prospective, controlled trials, with a majority demonstrating a clinical benefit. We conducted this review to describe the historical and current evidence in the use of thiopurines in IBD. A systematic search was performed on MEDLINE between 1965 and 2016 to identify studies on thiopurines in IBD. The most robust evidence for thiopurines in IBD includes induction of remission in combination with anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents, and maintenance of remission and post-operative maintenance in Crohn's disease. Less evidence exists for thiopurine monotherapy in induction of remission, maintenance of ulcerative colitis, chemoprevention of colorectal cancer, and in preventing immunogenicity to anti-TNF. Evidence was often limited by trial design. Overall, thiopurines have demonstrated efficacy in a broad range of presentations of IBD. With more efficacious novel therapeutic agents, the positioning of thiopurines in the management of IBD will change and future studies will analyze the benefit of thiopurines alone and in conjunction with these new medications.

The association between socioeconomic status and the symptoms at diagnosis of celiac disease: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: There are little data on patient factors that impact diagnosis rates of celiac disease. This study aims to evaluate the association between patient socioeconomic status and the symptoms at diagnosis of celiac disease. METHODS: A total of 872 patients with biopsy-proven celiac disease were categorized based on the presence or absence of (1) diarrhea and (2) any gastrointestinal symptoms at diagnosis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the association between socioeconomic status and symptoms. RESULTS: Patients without diarrhea at presentation had a higher mean per capita income (US$34,469 versus US$32,237, p = 0.02), and patients without any gastrointestinal symptoms had a higher mean per capita income (US$36,738 versus US$31,758, p < 0.01) compared with patients having such symptoms. On multivariable analysis adjusting for sex, age, autoimmune or psychiatric comorbidities, and income, per capita income remained a significant predictor of diagnosis without gastrointestinal symptoms (odds ratio: 1.71, 95% confidence interval: 1.17-2.50, p < 0.01), and it showed a trend towards significance in diagnosis without diarrhea (odds ratio: 1.40, 95% confidence interval: 0.98-2.02, p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with nonclassical symptoms of celiac disease are less likely to be diagnosed if they are of lower socioeconomic status. Celiac disease may be under-recognized in this population due to socioeconomic factors that possibly include lower rates of health-seeking behavior and access to healthcare.

Nationwide population-based cohort study of celiac disease and risk of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and joint hypermobility syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Patients with celiac disease (CD) often have articular complaints, and small prior studies suggest an association with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS)/joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS). AIMS: This study examines the risks of EDS/JHS in patients with CD. METHODS: This cohort study compared all individuals in Sweden diagnosed with CD based on small intestinal biopsy between 1969-2008 (n=28,631) to 139,832 matched reference individuals, and to a second reference group undergoing biopsy without having CD (n=16,104). Rates of EDS/JHS were determined based on diagnostic codes in the Swedish Patient Register. Hazard ratios (HRs) for EDS/JHS were estimated through Cox regression. RESULTS: There are 45 and 148 cases of EDS/JHS in patients with CD and reference individuals, respectively. This corresponds to a 49% increased risk of EDS/JHS in CD (95%CI=1.07-2.07). The HR for EDS was 2.43 (95%CI=1.20-4.91) and for JHS 1.34 (95%CI=0.93-1.95). Compared to reference individuals undergoing intestinal biopsy, CD was not a risk factor for EDS/JHS. A stronger association was seen in patients initially diagnosed with EDS/JHS and subsequently diagnosed with CD (odds ratio=2.29; 95%CI=1.21-4.34). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with CD have higher risk of EDS/JHS than the general population, which may be due to surveillance bias or factors intrinsic to celiac development.

Prevalence of Celiac Disease in Patients with Autoimmune Thyroid Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several screening studies have indicated an increased prevalence of celiac disease (CD) among individuals with autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD), but estimates have varied substantially. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of CD in patients with ATD. METHOD: A systematic review was conducted of articles published in PubMed Medline or EMBASE until September 2015. Non-English papers with English-language abstracts were also included, as were research abstracts without full text available when relevant data were included in the abstract. Search terms included "celiac disease" combined with "hypothyroidism" or "hyperthyroidism" or "thyroid disease." Fixed-effects inverse variance-weighted models were used. Meta-regression was used to examine heterogeneity in subgroups. RESULTS: A pooled analysis, based on 6024 ATD patients, found a prevalence of biopsy-confirmed CD of 1.6% [confidence interval (CI) 1.3-1.9%]. Heterogeneity was large (I(2) = 70.7%). The prevalence was higher in children with ATD (6.2% [CI 4.0-8.4%]) than it was in adults (2.7%) or in studies examining both adults and children (1.0%). CD was also more prevalent in hyperthyroidism (2.6% [CI 0.7-4.4%]) than it was in hypothyroidism (1.4% [CI 1.0-1.9%]). CONCLUSIONS: About 1/62 patients with ATD have biopsy-verified CD. It is argued that patients with ATD should be screened for CD, given this increased prevalence.

Partner Burden: A Common Entity in Celiac Disease.

BACKGROUND: Caregiver burden is documented in several chronic diseases, but it has not been investigated in celiac disease (CD). AIMS: We aim to quantify the burden to partners of CD patients and identify factors that affect the perceived burden. METHODS: We surveyed patients with biopsy-proven CD and their partners. Patients completed CD-specific questions, including the validated Celiac Symptom Index (CSI) survey. Partners completed the validated Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and questions regarding sexual and relationship satisfaction. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to assess the association between demographics, CD characteristics, and partner burden. RESULTS: In total, 94 patient/partner pairs were studied. Fifteen patients (16 %) reported a CSI score associated with a poor quality of life, and 34 partners (37 %) reported a ZBI score corresponding to mild-to-moderate burden. Twenty-two partners (23 %) reported moderate-to-low overall relationship satisfaction, and 12 (14 %) reported moderate-to-low sexual satisfaction. The degree of partner burden was directly correlated with patient CSI score (r = 0.27; p = 0.008), and there were moderate-to-strong inverse relationships between partners' burden and relationship quality (r = -0.70; p < 0.001) and sexual satisfaction (r = -0.42; p < 0.001). On multivariable logistic regression, predictors of mild-to-moderate partner burden were low partner relationship satisfaction (OR 17.06, 95 % CI 2.88-101.09, p = 0.002) and relationship duration ≥10 years (OR 14.42, 95 % CI 1.69-123.84, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Partner burden is common in CD, with more than one-third of partners experiencing mild-to-moderate burden. Partner burden is directly correlated with patient symptom severity, and it increases with poorer sexual and relationship satisfaction. Healthcare providers should address relationship factors in their care of patients with CD.

Risk of Headache-Related Healthcare Visits in Patients With Celiac Disease: A Population-Based Observational Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients with celiac disease (CD) are reported to be at increased risk for headaches, though large studies are lacking. We aimed to examine the risk of headache-related healthcare encounters in patients with CD in a nationwide population-based setting. METHODS: In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we searched all (n = 28) pathology departments in Sweden and identified patients with CD based on the presence of villous atrophy (VA). Each patient was matched to up to 5 controls, by age, gender, calendar period, and region. Using Cox proportional hazards, we tested for an association between CD and subsequent headache-related visit. We also tested this association for those with intestinal inflammation but normal villi, and subjects with positive CD serologies but normal histology. RESULTS: Among 28,638 patients with CD and 143,126 controls, headache-related visit occurred in 1,337 (4.7%) and 4,102 (2.9%), respectively. The incidence of headache-related visit was 423 per 100,000 person-years in CD patients and 254 per 100,000 person-years in controls (HR 1.66; 95% CI 1.56-1.77; P < .0001). Individuals having inflammation without VA on small intestinal biopsy (n = 12,898; HR 2.08; 95% CI 1.90-2.27; P < .0001) and those with normal mucosa but positive CD serology (n = 3,617; HR 1.83; 95% CI 1.57-2.12; P < .0001) were also at increased risk for headache-related visit. CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based study we found a significantly increased risk of headache-related visits in patients with CD; this increase was also present in patients with intestinal inflammation and those with positive CD serology but with normal mucosal architecture on small bowel biopsy. Though limited by surveillance bias, this study indicates that headache-related visits are more common in these populations.

Attitudes Toward Genetic Testing for Celiac Disease.

HLA molecular typing for celiac disease (CD) is a genetic test with a high negative predictive value. The aim of this study is to explore knowledge of and attitudes towards genetic testing (GT). A 25-item questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team and distributed to members of CD support groups across the United States. Respondents (n = 1835) were mainly female (88 %), married (76 %), and college-educated (55 %), with a median age range of 31-50 years. Those who were married (82 vs 75 %, p = 0.002), had children (82 vs 74 %, p < 0.001), and had pursued education beyond high school (81 vs 68 %, p = 0.004) were more likely to be aware of the availability of GT. On multivariable analysis, adjusting for age, sex, education, marital status, region of residence, and having children, college-education (OR 2.05, 95 % CI: 1.33-3.16) and having children (OR 1.56, 95 % CI: 1.15-2.11) remained significant predictors of GT awareness. A majority of patients with a personal or family history of CD planned GT for their children, and the most common concerns regarding GT were cost and impact on health care and/or insurance. In conclusion, awareness of GT is high among CD support group members. Efforts should be made to increase knowledge of GT in those with a lower educational level, and healthcare professionals should attempt to address concerns regarding GT cost and the impact of results on health care and insurance status.

Clostridium difficile Infection: A Rarity in Patients Receiving Chronic Antibiotic Treatment for Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged antibiotic use is limited by several adverse effects, one of which is Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of CDI in patients receiving chronic antibiotic treatment for Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 100 patients with CD for which ≥6 months of outpatient antibiotic therapy was prescribed. Data were collected regarding demographics, CD phenotype, treatment history, and CDI. The incidence of CDI in our patient population was calculated and compared with historical controls. RESULTS: 100 patients were studied-60% of men, mean age 23.9 years at CD diagnosis. Eighty-two percent had disease involving the ileum, and 33% had disease involving the colon. The mean duration of antibiotic therapy was 39.6 months (range, 6-217 months). The most commonly prescribed classes of antibiotics were fluoroquinolones (84%), penicillins (57%), and cephalosporins (32%). Forty-nine percent of patients were treated with concomitant thiopurines, 45% with budesonide, and 41% with biologics. The overall incidence of CDI was 2%. This incidence of CDI was lower than previously reported for non-CD patients receiving chronic antibiotics for continuous-flow left ventricular assist device infections (12.5%) and orthopedic prosthesis infections (22.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of CDI is rare in patients receiving chronic antibiotic treatment for CD, and it seems significantly lower than for non-CD populations reported in the literature.

Physicians Caring for Celiac Patients do not Routinely Recommend Screening of First-Degree Family Members.

AIM: Screening first-degree relatives of celiac disease (CD) patients offers an opportunity to diagnose CD in a high-risk population.This study aims to determine how frequently CD patients receive a physician-issued recommendation for first-degree relative screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 12-question survey assessing whether CD patients receive a physician recommendation to screen first-degree relatives for CD, and the impact of such a recommendation, was validated with outpatients in a university gastroenterology practice ("University"). The 12-question survey was then distributed online to members of a celiac organization - the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness ("NFCA"). Results were collected over 3 months. Univariate analysis was used to compare cohort means and assess the association between demographic and diagnostic factors and first-degree relative screening recommendations. RESULTS: 87 University patients participated in the validation phase. Test-retest reliability of 4 key survey questions was high (Kappa coefficient > 0.80). The main analyses were based on data from 677 NFCA and 82 University respondents. Respondents were predominantly female, with a mean age of 45 years. Significantly more University patients received a recommendation for screening (78% vs 44%, p < 0.001). Ninety-eight percent receiving a screening recommendation (both groups) discussed this with family members, leading to CD screening (University 71%, NFCA 79%) and, ultimately, a CD diagnosis (University 18%, NFCA 27%). CONCLUSIONS: Physicians of CD patients often do not recommend screening first-degree family members. The high clinical impact of this recommendation suggests that greater physician compliance with screening may increase the diagnosis of CD in high risk individuals.